Suction cleaner



Aug 25, 1953 G. E. KAUFMAN 2,649,608

l SUCTION CLEANER Filed Dec. 12, 1950 J 2 sheets-sheer 1 v I3 34 1;: i? 36 I J Il 29 35 -m l5 le llj INVENTOH. v

yGeary@ E Kaufman TTORNE Y.

Aug- 25, 1953 vG. E. KAUFMAN v 2,649,608

l sUCTIoN CLEANER` Filed Dec. 12, 195o 2 sheets-sheer 2 INVENTOR. George E [Yau/912cm ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 25, 1953 SUCTION CLEANER George E. Kaufman, Canton, Ohio, assigner to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application December 12, 1950, Serial No. 200,419

9 claims. 1

This invention relates to suction cleaners and more particularly to a new and improved ar" rangement therewith of the propelling handle, filter and exhaust conduit.

One of the more important objects of the invention is to provide an improved suction cleaner featuring a simplified and more eilicient arrangement of the propelling handle and lter mount-Y ing, a lower cost yet sturdier and more practical construction, neater appearance, as well as a more convenient and positive acting filter clamp.

A more specific object is to provide a filter mounting having a housing with a built-in lter clamp which locks the filter in place when the housing is closed and which releases the lilter when opened.

Another object is to employ the handle bail as the housing for the filter mounting and as the clamp for the filter.

Still further objects of the invention will become apparent from the following speciiication and drawings of a preferred embodiment in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View, partly in section, of a cleaner incorporating the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the handle and filter adapter along line 2 2, Figure l;

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 along the line 3 3, Figure l; and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1, but with the lter clamp in open position and the filter in position to be inserted over the adapter tube.

The invention is shown embodied in a oor type cleaner comprising a main body l Il having a suction nozzle II extending across its forward end. The removable hood I2 encloses an electric motor and fan unit not shown in detail .but of any well known type. Fan chamber I3 is preferably located in a horizontal plane at the under, central portion of body I0, and discharges rearwardly toward one corner of body I through a discharge conduit I4. The cleaner body is mounted on a pair of carrier wheels I5 and a pair of rear wheels I6.

The remaining structure illustrated in the drawings includes the principal essential features of my invention comprising a novel arrangement of the propelling handle, the exhaust conduit and the means for removably connecting the filter assembly thereto.

As more clearly shown in Figure 2, the rear of the cleaner body terminates in two laterally spaced skirts and I8 which project rearwardly beyond the fan chamber I3. Exhaust conduit- I4 is located in skirt Il and terminates in an outlet arranged in a vertical plane to one side of and parallel to the longitudinal center line of the cleaner. The lower half of the outer end of conduit |14 is formed in the main body casting while its upper half is formed by a removable semicylindrical closure plate I9 held in place by screws 20. An elbow shaped filter adapter 2| has its inlet end 22 connected to and journaled about the discharge end of conduit I4 so that its discharge end `23 can pivot through a vertical plane along with the propelling handle. Preferably, the axis of adapter conduit 23 coincides with the longitudinal center line of the cleaner and pivots through a arc about the -discharge end of conduit I4 extending from a vertical position to a rearward, horizontal position.

In the interest of greater ruggedness, elbow 2| is provided with a laterally projecting stud 24 in alignment with the center line of portion 22 of the elbow. Pivot pin 25 threads into stud 24 and its outer end is journaled in a bracket 26 secured to skirt I8 of the cleaner body.

The propelling handle 2'I includes the usual handle and a specially designed bail 28. In cross section the bail is of U-shape as more clearly appears from Figures 2 and 3, and includes a bottom closure wall 29 closely embracing the exhaust elbow. The upper end of the front wall of the bail projects forwardly and supports a socket 30 to which the lower end of handle 21 is detachably connected. The portion of the bail underlying the handle socket is preferably shaped as indicated in Figure l to provide a convenient hand grip 3| by which the operator can carry the cleaner from place to place. Side flange 32 of bail 28 is pro-vided with a large opening which fits over the end of the exhaust conduit and cooperates therewith to form one of the pivot bearings for the handle assembly. The opposite side 33 of the bail is provided with a smaller opening which is journaled on pivot pin 25. A spacer or thrust collar 34 is mounted between bracket 26 and side wall 33 of the handle bail.

The open rear side of bail 28 is normally closed by a cover plate 35 pivotally connected to the lower rear corner of the bail, as by screws 3G. As will be readily apparent from the drawings. cover 35 cooperates with the U-shaped handle bail to closely embrace the elbow shaped iilter adapter 2|, the upper end of which terminates near theupper end of the cover.

The filter assembly preferably includes a disposable paper filter bag 3l and a surrounding appearance enevelope 38. The upper end of the appearance envelope is closed and connected to the upper portion of handle 21 as by tension spring 39. The filter proper 3l may be of any suitable design and includes an inlet neck 40 having an internal periphery slightly greater than the outside periphery of adapter tube 23. As shown in Fig. 3, adapter 23 has an elliptical cross section although it may obviously be of any desired shape.

The means for clamping the filter neck to the adapter forms an important feature of this in- Vention and includesv a two-part clamp having the same interior configuration as the adapter tube. The forward half dl of the clamp formed integrally with or is preferably attached to the back wall of bail 28 opposite the bottom portion of the lter neck when in place on the adapter tube. The other halfdZ of the clamp is similarly attached to the inner wall of closure plate 35 and the clamping faces of both rings carry soft rubber or the like pads 43. The two halves of the clamp are held in locked, filter clamping position by means of a simple U-shaped latch member lll pivoted to the forward ends of clamp d2 by screws 65. The downturned ends d6 of the latch engage pins l carried on the ends of clamping ring di. An operating handle 18 positioned just rearwardly of cover plate 35 enables the operator to latch or unlatch clamp. It will be evident that latch dd, in addition to clamping the neck of filter 3l to the adapter, also serves to lock cover 35 in closed position.

The lower end of the forward face of appearance bag 38, as well as its sides, may be secured to the inner wall of the bail by rivets or by snap fasteners 50. The rear side of envelope 38 is provided with a hookless fastener i which opens upwardly to provide access to the adapter and to the filter. When the fastener is open the naps of the appearance bag can be spread to permit filter 3l to be removed and replaced.

rhe mode of operation of my invention is thought to be self-evident from the foregoing description of one embodiment thereof. lt will be manifest that the filter clamping device also locks the adapter elbow to the handle bail so that the adapter and the entire filter assembly pivot with the handle about the same axis as the handle. Several very important advantages follow from this simple arrangement. For example, the filter moves bodily with the handle thereby eliminating the possibility of exing any part of the paper bag thereby greatly prolonging the life of the filter. A common clamp functions to clamp the filter to the adapter and the adapter to the handle and to lock the cover plate closed. Opening of the adapter cover frees the adapter elbow for pivotal movement independently of the cleaner handle and, at the same time, releases the filter for removal from the adapter. Closure of the cover also conceals the combined lter clamp and inter-lock between the adapter and the handle, and in addition conceals the lower end of the appearance bag. Over-all, this novel arrangement presents an unusually trim appearance and sturdy construction.

While only a single embodiment of the invention has been described in detail it will be apparent that the principles thereof can be carried out by various other arrangements.

I claim:

1. In combination with a suction cleaner of the type having an ambulatory body, a motor-fan unit thereon, a suction nozzle in communication with the inlet of said fan, an exhaust air conduit leading from the discharge side of said fan, of a filter adapter tube having a flexible connection with said exhaust air conduit, a propelling handle pivotably connected to said body on an axis passing through said flexible connection, said handle connection including a housing enclosing said adapter tube and said flexible connection, the outer end portion of said adapter tube being formed to have the inlet of a i'llter telescoped thereover, said adapter tube housing including a movable 'closure member pivotably mounted thereon, means for locking said closure member closed, and lter clamping means on the inner Wall of said housing and said closure member operable when said closure member is closed to embrace the filter inlet on said adapter tube and clamp the lter thereto in an airtight manner.

v2 In combination with a suction cleaner of the type having an ambulatory body, a motor-fan unit thereon, a suction nozzle communicating with the inlet of said fan, an exhaust air conduit'leading from the discharge side of said fan, of a filter adapter tube having a swivel connection with said exhaust air conduit, a propelling handle pivoted to said cleaner on an axis in common with said swivel connection, said handle including a U-shaped member enclosing the opposite sides and front side of said adapter tube, a cover pivoted to said U-shaped member for closing the rear side of said adapter tube, and clamping means carried by said U-shaped member and operable to clamp the inlet of a iilter bag to said adapter tube when said cover is closed.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein said adapter tube is free to pivot about said swivel connection independently of said handle when said cover is open, said cover cooperating with said U-shaped member when closed to lock said adapter tube thereto so that the adapter pivots with said handle.

4. In combination with a suction cleaner of the type having an ambulatory body, a motor-fan unit thereon, a suction nozzle communicating with the inlet of said fan, an exhaust air conduit leading rearwardly from the discharge side of said fan, of a filter adapter comprising an elbow having one end thereof connected to said exhaust conduit through a swivel connection so that the exhaust end thereof is tree to pivot through an arc of substantially 9G, a propelling handle pivoted to said cleaner having a U-shaped housing at its lower end enclosing three sides of said filter adapter, a cover pivoted to said housing for closing the open side thereof, and for constraining said adapter to pivot with said handle when closed and releasing said adapter for movement independently of said handle when open, and means for releasably locking said cover closed.

5. The combination defined in claim 4 including cooperative clamping means on said housing and on said cover for clamping the inlet of a filter to said adapter when said` cover is closed and for releasing said filter when said cover is opened.

6. The combination defined in claim 4 including an appearance envelope for a filter havmg its upper end supported on said handle and its lower, open end attached to the upper portion of said U-shaped housing, said envelope being split longitudinally from its lower end to provide access to a filter bag therewithin, and means for normally holding said split edges together.

'7. A propelling handle and filter assembly for a suction cleaner comprising an elongated handle having a bail at its lower end, a web extending between the lateral edges and the lower ends of said bail and cooperating therewith to provide a housing open opposite said web, a filter seating adapter comprising an elbow having one end thereof extending through one side of said bail, means projecting from the opposite side of said one end and projecting through the other side of said bail so that said adapter can pivot out of said housing through said open side, a closure member for said open side pivoted to said handle bail, and means for releasably locking said closure shut whereby said adapter is held against pivotal movement with repect to said bail.

8. The combination defined in claim 7 including clamping means mounted on the inner wall of said web and bail shaped to embrace the upper end of said adapter to clamp a lter inlet thereto, and means on said closure for holding said adapter against said clamp to clamp a lter thereto when said closure is locked shut.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,098,028 Burkhardt Nov. 2, 1937 2,123,912 Replogle July 19, 1938 2,123,914 Replogle July 19, 1938 2,130,495 Hoover Sept. 20, i938 2,176,467 Milner Oct. 17, 1939 2,177,969 Welles Oet. 3l, 1939 

